Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/3202

3202 Resistance makes the word of God ineffective....

July 27, 1944: Book 42

The strength from God can only work where it is not opposed, and therefore the word of God can sound completely ineffective at the human being's ear as soon as he closes his heart, thus he does not want to receive it as God’s word. For the strength from God is something which has to be ardently desired; it does not flow to the human being against his will. And that is why the word does not come alive but only remains a dead word which neither blesses nor increases knowledge. It is neither recognized as truth nor as a divine mission, it will neither inspire faith nor spiritual striving, but then the reason for rejection is never to be sought in the word itself but only in the human being's will, which is still full of resistance against God, even though he does not admit this. He persists in defence without being able to justify it properly, for he accepts without resistance the mental transmissions which are imparted to him by God's opposing power. And this is the cause of every blatant rejection, for God's adversary works with all zeal to suppress the pure truth and to dissuade people from it. And he has succeeded so that the human being is no longer able to recognize the divine gift, which everyone can recognize if only he is willing and desirous of the truth. The word of God is offered such that its origin can very well be recognized, for the word speaks for itself, yet only for the one who intimately unites with God and desires to receive the truth from Him. If, however, the word is received unwillingly, if it is opposed, then the desire for truth is excluded, and then it will neither be understood nor have a beneficial effect on the human being, it will not be followed and thus will not result in the blessing which the lived word inevitably brings to the human being.... it cannot enlighten the spirit and give the human being the bliss of knowledge. And thus the word is then ineffective, its strength is not felt because the human being closes himself off to it. It is the greatest grace when God comes to people in the word, it is a measure of grace which is placed at his disposal without the human being's merit, yet it is entirely up to him whether he uses this gift of grace, whether he allows the word to speak to him, whether he acknowledges it as a divine gift, whether he thus allows the grace to take effect in him, for this depends on his will alone. If the will resists, then the human being will have no success whatsoever for his soul, then it will not contribute particularly to his higher development unless he practices love and thus unconsciously relinquishes his resistance to God.... But then he will also recognize His word, he will no longer reject it, even though he still hesitantly lets it affect him. However, it will touch him more and more and he will slowly become convinced of the truth of what is presented to him through the word of God.... Then his resistance will be broken and the word of God can take effect on him....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers